(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an L-shaped bulb socket in which a bulb and a mating connector are perpendicularly interconnected.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art
Heretofore, for example, a light device for an automobile has utilized an L-shaped bulb socket, which accommodates terminal metal fixtures (metal terminals) having a pair of bulb receiving pieces adapted to hold each terminal of a bulb and a coupling piece adapted to be connected to each terminal of a mating connector and joined perpendicularly to the bulb receiving pieces and in which the bulb and mating connector are interconnected perpendicularly.
Such a conventional L-shaped bulb socket is generally made by insert-molding the terminal metal fixtures. However, a process of producing the socket requires much labor. Thus, a method of assembling the socket has been developed. An example thereof is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-137588 (1987).
For convenience of explanation, a conventional L-shaped bulb socket will be described below by referring to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the conventional L-shaped bulb socket and FIG. 8 is a front elevational view taken along lines VIII--VIII in FIG. 7.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the L-shaped bulb socket is provided in its L-shaped housing a with a bulb holding chamber b and a connector chamber c arranged perpendicularly to the bulb holding chamber b. The housing a is provided in its front portion with slots d which extend from the bulb holding chamber b to the connector chamber c. Terminal metal fixtures e are pushed into the housing a through the slots d. When an elastic lock piece g projected from a side face of bulb receiving portions b of each terminal metal fixture e engages with a recess h formed in a side wall of the bulb holding chamber b, the fixture e is secured in the housing a.
However, since the conventional L-shaped bulb socket prevents the terminal metal fixture e from coming out of the housing a by a projection and recess fitting mechanism on a plane along a inserting direction of the terminal metal fixture e, the fixture e easily vibrates in the inserting direction in the housing a and easily falls down out of the housing a. Consequently, for example, when the bulb is attached to the socket, a distance from the distal end of the socket to a filament in the bulb is changed in each socket.
Also, a substantial resistance will occur when the elastic lock pieces g of the terminal metal fixture e is pushed into the housing a while being elastically deformed. This will result in a half insertion of the fixture e in the housing a. It is impossible to detect the half insertion of the fixture during an assembly step.
Further, in the conventional L-shaped bulb socket, since the terminal metal fixture e is merely pushed into an inner section in the slot d, positioning of the fixture becomes inaccurate and holding of the fixture becomes inadequate.